Friday September 25
Further Thought: “Those who have the spiritual oversight of the church should devise ways and means by which an opportunity may be given to every member of the church to act some part in God’s work.
Too often in the past this has not been done. Plans have not been clearly laid and fully carried out whereby the talents of all might be employed in active service. There are but few who realize how much has been lost because of this.
“The leaders in God’s cause, as wise generals, are to lay plans for advance moves all along the line. In their planning they are to give special study to the work that can be done by the laity for their friends and neighbors. The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.
“The salvation of sinners requires earnest, personal labor. We are to bear to them the word of life, not to wait for them to come to us. Oh, that I could speak words to men and women that would arouse them to diligent action! The moments now granted to us are few. We are standing upon the very borders of the eternal world. We have no time to lose. Every moment is golden and altogether too precious to be devoted merely to self-serving. Who will seek God earnestly and from Him draw strength and grace to be His faithful workers in the missionary field?
“In every church there is talent, which, with the right kind of labor, might be developed to become a great help in this work. That which is needed now for the upbuilding of our churches is the nice work of wise laborers to discern and develop talent in the church—talent that can be educated for the Master’s use.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp. 116, 117.
Discussion Questions:
• What is the main thought of the Ellen G. White quote above? What impact can it have on your personal witnessing and your church’s outreach?
"• How is genuine love always manifested? What are counterfeit forms of love that have little to do with genuine love?"
• In class, talk about the sacrifices that people have made for the Lord, including the loss of life. What can you learn from these stories?
• Think about your answer to the question at the end of Sunday’s study, about what you have sacrificed for Christ. What, in fact, have you sacrificed? Why did you do it? Was it worth it? How could you explain to someone who is not a Christian what you did and why you did it?
Inside Story
Pregnant for Two Years
By Andrew Mcchesney
Fanta Camara was excited when she noticed a bump on her belly. But as the bump grew bigger, she began to feel ill. She felt so terrible that she went to the hospital in Conakry, Guinea.
A physician examined her belly. “You aren’t pregnant,” he said. Fanta didn’t believe the physician. She asked a relative, who was a nurse, to take a look. “You are pregnant,” the relative said. “There is a baby in your belly.” Fanta beamed with joy. But she still felt ill, and the relative wasn’t sure how to help. She went to another hospital. “You aren’t pregnant,” the physician said. Fanta visited a third hospital. “You are pregnant,” the physician said. But he didn’t know how to help.
As the weeks passed, Fanta’s health worsened. She could barely walk.
Five months after Fanta noticed the bump on her belly, a stranger appeared in her bedroom. He had the feet and legs of a man but the chest and face of a leopard. She was scared. “You will not have that child in your belly,” the stranger said, and, turning, seemed to walk out through the bedroom wall.
"The next night, the stranger again appeared in the bedroom. “You will not have that child in your belly,” he said. Every night he visited Fanta."
"A year passed. Two years. As the third year started, Fanta was still pregnant and miserable. Then she remembered Tranqulle Fassinadouno. She had ignored him because he was the only Christian in their neighborhood, but now she was desperate. After hearing her story, Tranqulle, a Global Mission pioneer, prayed and fasted for three days, asking God for wisdom."
"Then he went to Fanta and, opening his Bible, read Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NKJV)."
"He spoke to unseen spiritual hosts in the house. “All evil spirits who do not confess the name of Jesus Christ leave immediately in the name of Jesus Christ,” he said. Turning to Fanta, he said, “If you see that evil spirit again, just command it to leave in the name of Jesus.”"
"That night, Fanta was lying in bed when the evil spirit appeared. Before he could speak, she said, “Leave in the name of Jesus Christ.” The evil spirit immediately disappeared in a cloud of smoke, never to return."
"Three days later, Fanta gave birth to a healthy baby girl. “I believe in Jesus now,” Fanta said.
"Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering that will help people in Guinea and elsewhere in the West-Central Africa Division learn about Jesus."
No comments:
Post a Comment